Anchor structure for electronic devices

ABSTRACT

An anchor structure for electronic devices includes a plurality of bars that are pivotally coupled through a hinged means. At least one of the bars has a housing space formed in a portion of the interior to allow the bars to be swivelable relative to one another. The anchor structure further has a fastening means which has a handle with a bottom end located in the housing space and hinged on a corresponding bar. The hinged portion on the bottom end of the handle runs through the bar and is fastened to a cam. The housing space also holds a slidable brake element corresponding to the cam and a spring to keep the brake element in contact tightly with the cam so that turning of the cam can selectively move the brake element to a position to escape the axle or to another position to form a tight contact with an axle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an anchor structure for electronicdevices and particularly to an anchor structure that has a hinge meansand a fastening means to adjust holding positions of an electronicdevice.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Conventional portable electronic devices such as handsets (mobilephones), PDAs, GPS (global positioning system) and the like can providepowerful communication functions, thus are widely accepted on themarket. These portable electronic devices are often being installed ontransportation vehicles to enable users to use during driving or riding.

In general, the conventional anchor structures, which are used to holdportable electronic devices, include a transformative bar structure or aplurality of hinged bars. Through a turning and fastening mechanism, thecoupling tightness of the hinged axles can be altered, and the bars canbe swiveled relative to one another about the axles or fastened, therebyto adjust the holding position to provide an optimal operating positionfor users. However, the stability and rigidity of the transformative barstructure are often not desirable. Swaying frequently occurs duringdriving. Moreover, the turning and fastening mechanism for the bars iseasily loosened. It also is not convenient to use during driving andcould result in hazardous conditions. There is still room forimprovement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforesaid problems occurred to the conventional anchorstructures for electronic devices, the primary object of the presentinvention is to provide an anchor structure to hold portable electronicdevices.

Another object of the invention is to provide an anchor structure forelectronic devices that has a hinge means and a fastening means. Thereare bars coupled through hinge axles that can be swiveled relative toone another or fastened to adjust the positions of the bars.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an anchor structurefor electronic devices that has a hinge means and a fastening means. Thefastening means can simultaneously control swiveling or fasteningcondition of hinge axles.

To achieve the foregoing objects the anchor structure for electronicdevices of the invention includes a plurality of bars that are pivotallycoupled through a hinge means. At least one of the bars has a housingspace to allow the bars to be swiveled relative to one another. Theinvention further has a fastening means which has a handle with a bottomcorresponding to the housing space and hinged on a corresponding bar.The handle has a hinge portion on the bottom end running through the barand being fastened to a cam in the housing space. The housing spacefurther holds a slidable brake element corresponding to the cam and aspring to harness the brake element to form a tight contact with thecam. Thus the cam can be turned to selectively make the brake element toslide to a position to escape an axle or another position to form atight contact with the axle.

The bar that has the housing space has two ends to be pivotally coupledwith other bars through the hinge means. The housing space communicatesthe hinge means on two ends thereof. The housing space also holds oneset of brake element and spring corresponding to each hinge means. Thecam has two ends pushing a corresponding brake element to controlcoupling tightness of each hinge means. Hence the positions of barsrelative to one another can be adjusted as desired. Moreover, one of thebars has a holding dock to hold an electronic device. Another bar has abase to allow the anchor structure to be mounted onto the surface of adesired object.

The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages ofthe invention will be more readily apparent from the following detaileddescription, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional and side view of an embodiment of theanchor structure for electronic devices of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention according to theembodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged sectional view according to the embodimentshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged sectional view according to FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of another embodiment of the anchorstructure for electronic devices of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 for an embodiment of the anchor structure forelectronic devices of the invention. It mainly includes a first bar 1and a second bar 2 that are pivotally coupled together through a hingemeans 3. Through a fastening means 4 the hinge means 3 can beselectively set to a swivelable condition or a non-swivelable condition,and the first bar 1 and the second bar 2 also can be set to acorresponding swivelable condition or a non-swivelable condition.

Referring to FIG. 3, the first bar 1 and the second bar 2 arerespectively a rod. The first bar 1 has a housing space 11 formed in aportion of the interior. The hinge means 3 includes an axle 31 hinged onone end of the first bar 1. The second bar 2 is fastened to theperipheral surface of the axle 31 so that the second bar 2 can beswiveled relative to the first bar 1 through the axle 31. The fasteningmeans 4 includes a handle 41 which has a hinge portion 41 a on a bottomend corresponding to the housing space 11 and pivotally coupled with thefirst bar 1. The hinge portion 41 a runs through the first bar 1 andfastens to a cam 42 in the housing space 11. The cam 42 has a protrusiveportion 42 a on one side formed in a selected surface profile. Thehousing space 11 has one end leading to where the first bar 1 beingcoupled with the axle 31. The housing space 11 also holds a slidablebrake element 43 and fastens to a spring 44 in a fixed manner on the oneend. The spring 44 aims to keep the brake element 43 in contact with thecam 42 tightly so that turning of the cam 42 can selectively make thebraking element 43 to slide away from the axle 31 or in a tight contactcondition with the axle 31 to make the axle 31 in a swivelable conditionor non-swivelable condition.

The axle 31 has a teeth structure on the peripheral surface to form ateeth surface 32. The brake element 4 has an end surface made fromrubber corresponding to the axle 31 for pressing thereon. Hence thefriction force between the brake element 43 and the teeth surface 32 canbe increased.

The pivotal coupling portion of the first bar 1 and the axle 31 also hasa damping wheel 33 which has a portion of elements fastened to the firstbar 1, while other portion of the elements is fastened to the axle 31 sothat when the first bar 1 swivels relative to the axle 31 the dampingwheel 33 provides a damping resistance. Hence when the brake element 43loosens the compression on the axle 31, the damping wheel 33 providesresistance against swiveling of the first bar 1 about axle 31 so thatthe second bar 2 can be firmly anchored on a selected position, andreduce the relative swiveling between the first bar 1 and the second bar2 caused by gravity force.

The first bar 1 may have a base 5 on other end to mount the anchorstructure onto the surface of a selected object. The second bar 2 mayhave a holding dock 6 on other end to hold the electronic device so thatthe whole anchor structure can be mounted onto the surface of theselected object.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, when the handle 41 is moved to a firstcondition, the cam 42 rams the brake element 43 outwards in contacttightly with the teeth surface 32 of the axle 31 so that the axle 31 isin an anchored condition, and the first bar 1 and the second bar 2 arein the non-swivelable condition relative to each other. When the handle41 is moved to a second condition, the cam 42 is released from the brakeelement 43, the brake element 43 is pushed inwards by the spring 44 toescape the teeth surface 32 of the axle 31, hence the first bar 1 andthe second bar 2 are in the swivelable condition. But swiveling of thefirst bar 1 and second bar 2 is resisted by the damping wheel 33 and isproceeded in a slower fashion.

Refer to FIG. 5 for another embodiment of the invention. The base 5 hasa top end fastened to a third bar 7. The first bar 1 is pivotallycoupled with the top end of the third bar 7 through a second hinge means3′. The second hinge means 3′ has a second axle 31′ pivotally coupled onone end of the first bar 1. The third bar 7 is fastened to the peripherysurface of the second axle 31′ so that the third bar 7 can be swiveledrelative to the first bar 1 through the second axle 31′. The handle 41has a hinge portion 41 a on the bottom end running through the first bar1 and fastened to the cam 42 in the housing space 11. The cam 42 has afirst protrusive portion 42 a and a second protrusive portion 42 b ontwo opposite sides formed respectively in a selected surface profile.The housing space 11 has one end leading to where the first bar 1 beingcoupled with the axle 31, and another end leading to where the first bar1 being coupled with the second axle 31′. The housing space 11 furtherhas a first brake element 43 and a second brake element 43′ slidable ontwo ends, and a first spring 44 and a second spring 44′ anchoring on thetwo ends. The first and second springs 44 and 44′ make respectively thebrake elements 43 and 43′ in contact tightly with protrusive portions 42a and 42 b of the cam 42 so that rotation of the cam 42 can selectivelymake the brake elements 43 and 43′ to escape the axles 31 and 31′, orslide to ram the axles 31 and 31′ tightly to allow the axles 31 and 31′in a swivelable or non-swivelable condition.

When the handle 41 is moved to the first condition, the protrusiveportions 42 a and 42 b of the cam 42 ram the brake elements 43 and 43′outwards in contact tightly with the teeth surface 32 of the axle 31 sothat the axle 31 is in an anchored condition, and the first bar 1 andthe second bar 2 are in a non-swivelable condition relative to eachother. Meanwhile the second brake element 43′ is in contact tightly withthe second teeth surface 32′ to anchor the second axle 31′. The firstbar 1 and the third bar 7 can also be selectively set to anon-swivelable condition. When the handle 41 is moved to the secondcondition, the protrusive portions 42 a and 42 a of the cam 42 arereleased from the brake elements 43 and 43′, and the brake elements 43and 43′ are pushed inwards respectively by the springs 44 and 44′inwards so that the first brake element 43 escapes the teeth surfaces 32of the axle 31, and the first bar 1 and the second bar 2 can beselectively set in a swivelable condition relative to each other.Meanwhile the second brake element 43′ is moved away from the secondteeth surface 32′ of the second axle 31′, and the first bar 1 and thethird bar 7 can be selectively set in a swivelable condition relative toeach other.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth forthe purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments ofthe invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to thoseskilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended tocover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

1. An anchor structure for electronic devices, comprising: a first barwhich has a housing space formed in a portion of the interior thereof; asecond bar; a hinge means which includes an axle pivotally coupled onone end of the first bar, the second bar being fastened to theperipheral surface of the axle so that the second bar is swivelablerelative to the first bar through the axle; and a fastening means havinga handle which has a hinge portion on a bottom end corresponding to thehousing space to be hinged on the first bar and fastened to a camlocated in the housing space, the cam having a protrusive portion on oneside to form a selected surface profile, the housing space holding aslidable brake element corresponding to the axle such that turning ofthe cam selectively moves the brake element to a position to escape theaxle or another position to form a tight contact with the axle.
 2. Theanchor structure of claim 1, wherein the housing space holds a springcorresponding to where the first bar being pivotally coupled with theaxle to force the brake element to form a tight contact with the cam. 3.The anchor structure of claim 1, wherein the axle peripheral surface isformed with a teeth surface.
 4. The anchor structure of claim 1, whereinthe brake element has one end surface made from rubber to be in contactwith the axle.
 5. The anchor structure of claim 1, wherein the hingemeans has a damping wheel which has a portion of elements fastened tothe first bar and other portion of the elements fastened to the axle toprovide a damping resistance.
 6. The anchor structure of claim 1,wherein the second bar has a holding dock on other end to hold anelectronic device.
 7. The anchor structure of claim 1, wherein the firstbar has other end fastened to a base to mount the anchor structure ontothe surface of an object.
 8. An anchor structure for electronic devices,comprising: a first bar which has a housing space formed in a portion ofthe interior thereof; a second bar; a third bar; a first hinge meanswhich includes a first axle pivotally coupled on one end of the firstbar, the second bar being fastened to the peripheral surface of thefirst axle so that the second bar is swivelable relative to the firstbar through the first axle; a second hinge means which includes a secondaxle pivotally coupled on other end of the first bar, the third barbeing fastened to the peripheral surface of the second axle so that thethird bar is swivelable relative to the first bar through the secondaxle; and a fastening means having a handle which has a hinge portion ona bottom end to run through the first bar and fasten to a cam in thehousing space, the cam having a first protrusive portion and a secondprotrusive portion on two opposite sides to form respectively a selectedsurface profile, the housing space holding a first brake element and asecond element that are slidable and corresponding respectively to thefirst axle and the second axle such that turning of the cam selectivelymoves the first brake element and the second brake element to positionsto escape the first axle and the second axle or to other positions toform a tight contact with the first axle and the second axle.
 9. Theanchor structure of claim 8, wherein the housing space holds a firstspring and a second spring corresponding respectively to the first brakeelement and the second brake element to force the brake element and thesecond brake element to form respectively a tight contact with the firstprotrusive portion and the second protrusive portion of the cam.
 10. Theanchor structure of claim 8, wherein the first axle peripheral surfaceand the second axle peripheral surface are formed respectively with ateeth surface.
 11. The anchor structure of claim 8, wherein the brakeelements have one end surface made from rubber to be in contact with thefirst axle and the second axle.
 12. The anchor structure of claim 8,wherein the first hinge means has a first damping wheel and a seconddamping wheel on where the first bar being coupled with the first axleand the second axle, the first damping wheel having a portion ofelements fastened to the first bar and other portion of the elementsfastened to the first axle, and the second damping wheel having aportion of elements fastened to the first bar and other portion of theelements fastened to the second axle to provide a damping resistance.13. The anchor structure of claim 8, wherein the second bar has aholding dock on other end to hold an electronic device.
 14. The anchorstructure of claim 8, wherein the anchor structure is mounted onto thesurface of an object through the third bar.
 15. The anchor structure ofclaim 8, wherein the third bar has other end fastened to a base to mountthe anchor structure onto the surface of an object.